Vietnam Proposes Three Key Areas to Boost ASEAN-Japan Cooperation

Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung attended the ASEAN-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila, Philippines, proposing three strategic priorities to foster regional cooperation. The annual meeting, co-chaired by the Foreign Ministers of Singapore (country coordinator for ASEAN-Japan relations) and Japan, saw the participation of Foreign Ministers and senior officials from ASEAN member states. Both sides shared their long-standing, equal, substantial, trustworthy, and mutually respectful partnership, emphasizing an open, transparent, inclusive, and international law-based regional structure with ASEAN at its center. ASEAN countries highly valued Japan as one of their most reliable partners, acknowledging its significant and effective contributions to the development of individual members and the region as a whole. Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu reaffirmed Japan's long-term commitment to the region based on a "heart-to-heart" trusted partnership. He supported ASEAN's solidarity and centrality, pledging to assist ASEAN in implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. Japan committed to deepening the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and continuing support in areas such as maritime security, energy security, food security, combating transnational crime, artificial intelligence development, digital transformation, people-to-people exchanges, and high-quality human resource development. Both sides agreed to promote cooperation in maritime security, cybersecurity, and addressing non-traditional security challenges through ASEAN-led mechanisms. In economic and social fields, ASEAN and Japan pledged to enhance regional integration through the effective implementation and eventual upgrading of trade agreements like the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). ASEAN highly appreciated Japan's role and support for digital transformation, energy security, and climate change adaptation through frameworks such as the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC), the ASEAN-Japan AI Co-creation Initiative, and the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) 3.0. Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung emphasized the importance of the ASEAN-Japan partnership amidst profound changes in the geopolitical and geo-economic landscape. He stressed that the relationship serves the interests of both sides and makes a significant contribution to consolidating an open, transparent, inclusive, and rule-based regional structure. To promote practical, action-oriented, and future-looking cooperation, Minister Le Hoai Trung proposed three strategic priorities to guide future ASEAN-Japan cooperation: First, strengthening economic security and resilience, focusing on strategic areas such as supply chains, critical minerals, digital infrastructure, semiconductors, and energy security. Second, co-creating a safe and future-ready digital economy by leveraging Japan's technological capabilities and innovation. This includes effectively implementing the ASEAN-Japan AI Co-creation Initiative, the FOIP Digital Corridor, and the Hanoi Convention on Cybersecurity. Third, accelerating a green and sustainable future by expanding practical cooperation on renewable energy, smart grids, and sustainable infrastructure. This aims to support energy security while hastening the green and low-emission transition, utilizing key Japanese initiatives like AZEC 2.0 and POWERR Asia. Regarding international and regional issues, Minister Le Hoai Trung welcomed Japan's support for ASEAN's maritime cooperation and capacity-building efforts. He affirmed that ASEAN and Japan share common interests in maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea and other seas, in accordance with international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982. Source: Nhan Dan